House Party
by TakaSobieFAnka
Summary: My Take #5499 on this Lyric Llama challenge issued long long time ago ( like six months ago or so) that for one reason or another didn't want to see the light... Finally both my Muse and I agreed on something and this came up... Hopefully you like :)


This fic was inspired by the lyrics:

"You're on the couch, blowing up my phone.  
You don't want to come out, but you don't want to be alone"

from the song "House Party", by Sam Hunt. I claim no ownership of it, I only used it as an inspiration.

Big "Thank You" to the Facebook group **Harmony & Co. (+18)** and their awesome admins for coming up with this event as well as organizing us a place where all of us Harmony lovers can unite :) Love you ppl!

As usual, Harry Potter and original characters are not mine, but I thank J. K. Rowling she lets me play in her sandbox everyday.

And J, you rock as always... even with smashed fingers :P

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\- You're on the couch, blowing up my phone, Hermione. You obviously don't want to come out, but clearly you don't want to be alone either. I may be a bloke, but I am not _completely_ oblivious, you know…

\- Oh Harry…

\- So, will you tell me what that git we both call a friend did this time?

\- Nothing.

\- Hermione…

\- No, really Harry. This time he did literally nothing. Well, maybe besides shrugging his shoulders…

Harry's only response was a lift of a brow, a move that always got her to spill secrets. She sat properly on the couch, tucking her feet under her bum and patted the seat beside her, inviting him to sit right next to her. As soon as he sat down, she summoned the butterbeers from the kitchen. They started drinking in silence until Harry finally nudged her impatiently. With a little huff she started her story of a recent date with her fiancé of the last few months, one Ronald Weasley.

\- And at some point, after not hearing any input, I looked at him and he had this faraway look in his eyes. He hadn't heard a word of what I was saying, Harry, he didn't listen to a word of the preparation details I just finished telling him. So when he finally got his attention back to me I just blurted the very question that was bugging me at the moment: _Do you even want to marry me, Ron? _The response I got …. The look in his eyes, the shrug of his shoulders…. I removed the ring he gave me then and there, placed it in his shirt pocket and left him alone at the table. I apparated out as soon as I cleared the lobby and ended up here. Got my crying out of the way first, with the bottle of the fire whisky, I admit. That's when the blowing up your phone part must have happened, I honestly don't remember ever calling you, nor texting until this afternoon. Did you at least bring the food?

\- Serving of Hermione Grangers comfort food, under warming charm, delivered as asked. Set of veggie egg rolls, chow mein with tofu and fried rice for you and me separately. If desired I will surrender some of my chow mein, I promise.

That little thought made her chuckle and at the same time helped to realize that she probably looked worse than she thought and felt if Harry offered to surrender his favorite part of the order himself. She sneaked a peek into the large mirror that decorated the wall to her left and barely managed to cease the gasp that wanted to leave her body. The curls that during puberty relaxed and became nice and wavy were currently back to their former glory, tangled as much as they clearly could. The grey sweater that her mom got her last year for Christmas and black sweat pants with golden snitches kind of matched but Harry knew that she wore this combination only when she was letting herself fall apart completely and needed some strength. The pants always made him smile fondly, she noticed that before, as if he was remembering the day that Hermione Granger decided that stealing Harry Potters sweat pants was a great idea. She smiled again thinking about that first time she stayed in his new apartment in Rome and, lightly shaking her head, she forced herself to get back to reality.

Harry watched her inconspicuously, wondering if she was still in danger of falling apart. The puffiness of her eyes was still visible, so he knew she had cried not too long before he came over but he didn't comment on that. He was there for her, as she was always there for him in the past, and was ready to pull out the box of tissues he had in his expanded pockets. Strong as she was, even The Brightest Witch Of Her Age needed a good cry sometimes. Crazy hair... well he always theorized that they reflected Hermione's emotional state. Today, clearly feeling raw and unbounded inside reflected in her hair as well, bringing out the long absent curls that, if he was honest with himself, he'd admit he missed quite fiercely. But the biggest indication of her state, was definitely the poor shape of her dress. Though he had to admit, seeing Potter written on the side of her legs in Gryffindor's red and gold, made his insides do quite a few somersaults that day in Rome (and yes, every other time too), he knew that Hermione only dressed down like that when she seriously needed to break down, unload, and rebuild herself. And now that he knew the reason behind the emotional collapse, he was of half a mind to go over to the Burrow and kick some sense into that git he called his best mate. But at the same time, he knew his female best friend needed him right next to her at the moment.

\- Harry, can you promise me one thing?

\- Anything for you Hermione, you know that…

\- Promise me you won't go and kick his butt the instant you leave my apartment tonight.

\- Oh, come on Hermione!

\- No Harry, it's best this way… you know how he is. You go to him and there will be a messy war between the three of us and I do not want that at all. He will make you choose sides and I don't want you in that position… he almost made me chose when you broke up with Ginny…

\- But it wasn't my fault that Ginny decided to sleep with Dean while in a relationship with me, just because she was lonely as I was abroad working!

\- And that detail coming out into the light of day was the only reason he didn't make me choose, Harry.

\- Well I for one wouldn't have an issue with choosing. You have to know, Hermione, you have to… I would always choose you, ALWAYS. While he might be my first friend I know who the better friend to me is at any time without a second thought. It's always you, Hermione. You are my bestest friend, in the whole wide world. You have never left my side, not even for a moment, not when being near me made the world call you names, not when it put you in danger to be recognized as my friend…. You are the one and only constant in my life, Hermione, and if you knew what my pants on your legs do to me you would run and hide behind your strongest wards….

\- H-Harry?

\- Ummm, forget I said anything? – Harry mumbled, cheeks red from embarrassment, hands covering his face seconds later. The next moment, Hermione's hand landed on his shoulder, making him lift his head up, and look into her eyes.

\- How about I don't, but we put this conversation on hold?

\- Yeah, alright, we can do that. Now, before the food gets cold, let's tuck in?

\- Sure, sure… but I don't think your charms work would expire so quickly….

At the same time Hermione let him change the subject, clearly seeing how uncomfortable he was after the slip of his tongue. She on the other hand…. she was speechless for a second there, sure, then her stomach filled with a little tornado of emotions only for her mind to remind her that she had just gotten out of a many years long relationship over which she had cried for the last few days. With a few short flicks of her wand, the boom box she received as a goodbye gift from friends while interning in MAGUSA started playing, chopsticks flew from the kitchen, the bottle of sake and two glasses following them shortly after.

\- Let's make it a party for two, huh? I promise not to cry anymore today, while you stuff me with food and drinks.

\- A house party of sorts, huh?

\- Sure, why not… a soiree. Silencing charms in my wards will keep the neighbors from hating us and calling the cops while letting us dancing, increasing the volume and being wild overall.

\- Wild, huh?

\- Oh, Mr. Potter, wild is my middle name.

That sent him laughing spewing some of the freshly eaten fried rice around. Coughing on the food that went down the wrong pipe , he grabbed a nearby tissue trying to calm himself at the same time. Hermione laughed at his expense, sooner rather than later slapping his back to get him to breath regularly again. Soon they both were eating again, teasing each other back and forth, laughing and drinking. And if the volume of the music grew, and they danced wildly none of the neighbors were any smarter. And if at some point of the night the smile he had on his face hidden in Hermione's hair matched the one on her lips… well, can you blame them?

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Please let me know what you think :)


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